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In Brazil, eight different cut-off dates have been applied by the country.
As the matter generated many divergences, it ended up being referred to the Federal Supreme Court. In a vote on 01/08, it was decided that the age cut-off date will be on March 31. This means that the child must be six years old by this date to be able to enter the first year. If the child is to be born after March 31, he or she will be admitted the following year. The CNE National Education Council had already stipulated this date since 2010, however, by judicial order, some State Education Councils, or even private schools, were granted authorization to set other dates. The unification of a national date requires time to adjust for this transition.

A common criticism of this law is that it leverages all students by average and age and not by cognitive ability. This argument, however, ends up not only applying to the date of March, but also to May, June or December.

On the other hand, a standard age throughout the country dramatically facilitates transfers between states, cities or schools, regardless of where the child came from or where they will go. The current year will be respected.

In preschool and kindergarten throughout the country, it was defined that the activities should be more playful. In elementary school, work will be primarily aimed at good literacy. Many recent changes have taken place in the country, such as the implementation of Primary School with nine, instead of eight years in duration. Also, the enrollment of children of four and five years of age became mandatory.

How does the Swiss-Brazilian School of Curitiba stand in front of this cut-off date?

The following are some criteria regarding the child`s maturity, which is a consequence of the cutoff date in March:

Skills: Students better understand the stimulus that is being used to develop their skills and competencies before they even know about the content. To create activities, it is necessary to know what areas are being stimulated and what competencies are developing. We focus on the proficiency in cognitive, intrapersonal, social and physical-body awareness competencies, from the first moment.

Brain development: A more in-depth knowledge of brain functioning allows us to affirm that maturity assists in the construction of strategies that stimulate learning and that promote the potential of each individual, especially in the first years of life. Neuroeducation helps in the knowledge of tools, strategies and methodologies according to the different brain areas, respecting the individualization to learn. Maturity is a learning facilitator.

Methodologies: the student better enjoys the different methodologies proposed, being that the individualization to learn is respected. Consequently, even with different maturities, a systemic teacher will be able to take each of his students to his or her zone of proximal development.

Maturity: in this tenuous age, maturity is often confused with intelligence. Stimulating maturity in the intellectual, social, emotional, physical or psychomotor senses is fundamental for the accommodation and assimilation of generating themes used to develop both skills and content. More mature children tend to better incorporate learning.

Readiness: the student needs to be prepared and interested to learn and develop. This is related to the foundation previously formed, whether in the family or in the school itself.

Autonomy: an essential aspect that is reinforced daily at school, by encouraging the students` independence, allowing for decision making, and personal choices. This stimulus is facilitated when the child feels ready to act in the environment seeking solutions to the aspects that challenge them.

Emotional intelligence: many aspects are understood and studied in this regard. Maturity certainly permeates this field of mind and body.

Formalization of literacy: for literacy and letters in our school, maturity is fundamental, since literacy occurs bilingually and cannot be performed merely mechanically and syllabically, as in conventional methods.

Resolve conflicts and know how to position yourself in bullying: being more mature facilitates the learning of dialogue. The child learns to impose himself, to argue, to mediate and to make himself respected.

Leadership: mature children are more likely to influence colleagues, realize when they have natural leadership or by recognition. Manipulation is more easily identified when it occurs among more mature children. Not everyone needs to lead, but everyone should have the option to do so if he or she wish. Leadership can also be developed.

Balance and common sense: are fundamental aspects for the emotional formation of learners. The more mature, the more opportunities to participate in projects that develop their safety.

It is noticeable that our school community respects the age brackets, already adopted in our school some years ago.

All of our students are already well-suited in the new age brackets for 2019. We consider this aspect to be a gain in cognitive skills and competence building.

Our interest is to form conscious citizens, really active in society and safe since childhood.

Sources: Ministry of Education, Supreme Federal Court, Movement for Education and National Education Council